Pieces of the Puzzle
by Dakir
Summary: Team RWBY tries to find out the truth behind an attack on Beacon. Sequel to Broken Mirror: /s/9668048/1/Broken-Mirror
1. Trouble at Beacon

**This is a sequel to another story called _Broken Mirror_. It is suggested that you read that before reading this one so you can better understand the plot.**

_**Broken Mirror **_**can be found here: s/9668048/1/Broken-Mirror**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Weiss lay awake on her bed, just as she had for many nights, thinking about her parents. She could not fathom what kind of parents would leave their daughter to be adopted. She had spent many nights crying herself to sleep because of their letter. Ruby stood by her side and comforted her when she could, but this pain was deep and would not fade easily. This night, however, Weiss did not cry. She was angry more than anything tonight. They _knew_ where she was, how could they not come to see her? They had not contacted her since their letter, and this got her angry.

Deciding she was not going to sleep that night, she got up from her bed and put on her slippers. She grabbed Myrtenaster, just in case she might need it, and tiptoed to the door. She slid quietly out of the room. Still in her nightgown, she made her way outside. It was chilly out, but not freezing, warm enough for her to take a walk around the grounds, she decided.

She made her way over to the pond, gazing out over the utterly still water. She sat down, hugging her knees close to her. She sat there for a long while. At some point. something caught the corner of her eye. She whipped her head around to catch a glimpse of it, but it was too fast. She stood up, keeping her head on a swivel, and drew her sword.

Suddenly, a huge black shape came flying at her from the shadows, two red eyes glaring at her, screaming murder. She ducked, the hulking beast missing her by just inches. She spun around and met the next charge with her sword, driving the blade through the beast.

She looked down at her slain enemy, _A Beowolf?!_ she thought, _At Beacon?_ Her head was whirling. The Grimm were never so bold as to actually come onto the school grounds. She was in the process of thinking about how strange it was that there was just one, when she heard snarling behind her.

She spun around as another Beowolf charged at her. It swiped at her with its massive paw, but Weiss was already in the air. She spun Myrtenaster's chamber and unleashed a blast of fire at the beast. The flaming ball hit it square in the chest, knocking it back, but not doing nearly as much damage as it should've. As she descended, she spun the chamber again and locked the Grimm's feet into the ground with ice.

She heard snarling footsteps behind her, and backflipped out of the way of the second beast's charge. It came at her again, this time swiping at her with sharp claws. Weiss met the swipe with her sword, but was knocked backwards from it. As the beast came at her again, she sent a wave of ice towards it, freezing it completely.

Deciding that it was out of the fight, she turned to where she had frozen the first one to the ground, only to see the ice broken and the beast nowhere in sight. _They don't normally run away either._ She thought to herself._ I need to tell Ozpin about this._

She wiped the blood off of her sword and placed it back at her hip. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, and Weiss quickly made her way to her room.

She found Ruby just waking up as she entered. "Ruby," Weiss said as she closed the door behind her, "You won't believe what just happened."

Ruby sat up slowly, stretched her arms and said, "Oh yeah?" She let out a large yawn, still groggy with sleep, "What happened?"

"I was just attacked by Beowolves."

Ruby shot up in her bed, "I hope I heard that wrong."

Weiss shook her head, "I'm on my way to tell Ozpin." She said as she quickly got dressed.

Ruby followed suit and said, "I'm coming too."

The two made their way down the stairs and across the school grounds. They made sure to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. As they made it to the main building, they saw the frozen Beowolf shining in the early morning sunlight. Weiss looked over at Ruby, who looked like she was thinking intently.

They opened the door to Ozpin's office to find the headmaster speaking with Glenda Goodwitch. "Girls," He said in surprise, and, seeing the look on Ruby's face, asked, "What happened?"

Weiss spoke up, "I was just attacked by a group of Beowolves on school grounds. What is worse, one of them ran away from the fight."

Ozpin looked deep in thought, "Hmm…" He mumbled something that Weiss couldn't hear. "Thank you for telling me this, for now, don't go anywhere by yourself." He then turned to Glenda, "Make an announcement telling all the students the same."

Ruby then asked, "What are you thinking?"

Ozpin looked at her and said, "Nothing that concerns you right now. It could have just been a freak accident. We certainly do not know enough to jump to conclusions. For now, however, we must all remain alert and vigilant."

The girls nodded and Ozpin excused them both. On the way back to their dorm, Weiss said, "Ozpin knows something that he isn't sharing."

"For sure." Ruby replied. They walked for another moment in silence before Ruby exclaimed, "Oh!"

"What is it?" Weiss asked.

"Back when Ozpin told the story about….about your village, didn't he say that the group was trying to control the Grim?" Ruby said, hesitant about bringing up Weiss' past.

A look of despair came over Weiss' face before she could control herself, "Yes, he did." She said. She thought about it for a moment before quietly asking, "Do you think it could be my parents?"

Ruby looked over at Weiss, who was clearly torn up by the possibility. "No way, Weiss." She said, "No parent would send those monsters after their child, no matter the circumstances." She put on a confident smile for her partner. "I'm sure of it."

They returned to their dorm and prepared for classes that day. Weiss got ready and then walked over to the window to look outside. She could've sworn she had seen some shadow pass over the ground, but when she looked up, there was nothing but clear sky.


	2. Discovery

Yang yawned and stretched her arms. She rubbed her eyes and squinted at the clock. _Better get ready._ She thought. She glanced over and saw that Blake was already getting ready for their first morning class. Yang thought for a moment, then asked, "Blake? What class do we have first?"

The black-haired girl looked over and said, "Combat Practice."

_Thank goodness._ Yang thought, _At least we don't have to get dressed up in that awful uniform. _She got up and made her way to their bathroom, splashing her face with cold water. She looked in the mirror and checked her hair. Perfect. As usual. She returned to the room and quickly got changed, strapping on Ember Celica to her wrists.

She looked over at Blake and asked, "You ready?" And, seeing her nod said, "Then let's go."

They left their room and walked down the stairs to the courtyard. They managed to get to the training grounds before they heard a loud screech. Their heads shot up and both of them gasped in amazement. "A _Nevermore?_" Yang said incredulously, "What is that thing doing here?!"

Blake shot back, "Doesn't matter, we've got to get it out of here before it does any harm."

Yang nodded and prepared for a fight as Blake fired a couple shots at the giant bird. they didn't do much damage, but it certainly got the creature to take notice of them. Blake saw Yang soar towards the bird, firing shots at it as she did so. Blake took off with incredible speed on the ground, trying to draw its attention away from the school.

Yang sped towards the beast, cracking her fist against its side. The impact sent the bird reeling, but it quickly recovered and gave a large screech. Yang landed and began to run alongside Blake, hoping the creature would follow the pair.

Another loud screech confirmed her hopes. She managed a glance over her shoulder to see the beast speeding at them from behind. She yelled, "Blake!" as she rolled off to the side. She popped up to her feet and began firing off shots at the giant bird. As it closed, she jumped up, hopefully enough to get the drop on it. The creature was so intent on killing her that it swooped too low, allowing Yang to smash its back.

The beast hit the ground with a large crash, sliding several meters before coming to a halt. Yang leapt off the creature's back as it flapped its wings to get up off the ground. Apparently it was intelligent enough to know that it couldn't win a fight without flying.

Blake fired a shot at the Nevermore as it was taking off, but saw it simply ping off of the creature's tough feathers. She then had an idea, but it was put off by the beast turning and launching a barrage of feathers at the two girls. She flipped out of the path of one and twisted away from another.

She ran off to the side as she leapt over the giant feathers, trying to get out of the path of the barrage. She rolled as she spotted one coming straight for her. As she got back up, she spotted the bird coming back for another pass at them. She called, "Yang! Catch!" She threw her pistol, firing it off as she did so to cross the distance between them.

Yang saw the pistol coming at her and caught it, seeing the ribbon trailing out behind the pistol. She immediately saw the other girl's idea. She smirked as the Nevermore came towards them.

They both leapt to the side as the bird came close. Blake jumped up incredibly high over the beast. Yang followed suit and the ribbon caught the bird in the neck. She fired her gauntlet behind her, shooting over towards Blake. Somehow she saw the girl flying towards her as well. As they passed each other, she thought she caught a small wink from her partner.

As the two fell towards the ground, the ribbon wrapped tight around the creature's neck. They landed and pulled hard on the ribbon, forcing the bird to the ground. Yang fired at the beast, sending her flying backwards. She heard a loud crack and then it was silent. She glanced back at the Nevermore to see its massive neck broken by the force of their pulling on it.

She saw Blake come out from behind the dead monster, taking a look at its monstrous head. She then saw the other girl climb up on the slain Nevermore. "Yang," she called, "Come take a look at this."

Yang followed her up onto the beast. "There." Blake told her, pointing to a small object protruding from its neck. She took a closer look to see a small red light blinking on the object.

Yang reached down to try and pick up the object, but it seemed to be imbedded in the creature's skin. She gripped it as best she could with both hands and yanked on it. The device was stubborn, but another hard pull removed it in a shower of blood. Yang lost her balance and fell off of the carcass onto the ground, the device landing next to her. "Ow." She said quietly, getting up and rubbing her tailbone.

She picked up the device and examined it. The part that was inside the creature was covered in blood, but she could tell that it was barbed and clearly not meant to be removed. She turned the thing over and saw there was a small label next to the now disabled light that read, _Status_.

Blake came back down and asked, "What is it?" She came and stood behind Yang, looking over her shoulder.

"No idea," Yang replied, "But it can't be anything good."

Blake nodded and said, "We should take it to Ozpin and see if he knows anything about it."

Yang agreed, "But why is there a Nevermore attacking the school? They are never so bold…"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Blake replied.

They made their way over to the main campus. The school was just waking up and students could now be seen groggily making their way to classes. As they passed their dorm building, the door opened and Ruby came walking out, followed by Weiss. "Yang!" She called.

She turned and waved to her sister with her free hand and said nothing. The two pairs met up and Ruby immediately asked, "What is _that_?"

Yang shrugged, "We have no idea, but it was stuck into a Nevermore's neck. We're on our way to see Ozpin about it."

"A Nevermore?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Weiss was attacked by some Beowolves this morning. There's no way this is a coincidence."

Blake said, "Really? That is interesting indeed."

Weiss then chimed in, "I froze one of them solid. We can see if it has anything on it that might connect the two."

Ruby replied, "Ok, so, Yang and Blake, make sure you get that to Ozpin. Weiss and I will go see if the two attacks might be related."

"Will do." Yang said, and the two walked off towards the large building.

Ruby looked to Weiss, "Let's go." She said.

The white-haired girl nodded as they made their way over to the pond. They skirted around it to the spot where the frozen Beowolf stood glinting in the morning light. They both began looking the thing up and down, trying to spot anything unusual about it, but they saw nothing. "Maybe if we get a closer look?" Ruby offered.

She pulled out her scythe and swung, turning the blunt end towards the ice. It impacted hard and they heard a loud crack as the ice weakened. She swung again and the ice shattered, revealing the top of the beast. The entire half-ice sculpture fell onto its side as the impact broke it off of the ground. Ruby sheathed her weapon and looked to Weiss, "Help me flip it."

The two girls heaved the half-frozen beast so it lay face down. Ruby felt along its neck and felt a small metal object touch her hand. She parted the fur to see a small light blinking red. She gripped it tightly with her thumb and forefinger and pulled. The thing came out bloody, and she noticed the light had stopped altogether.

She looked down at the tiny device and held it up for Weiss to see. "This can't be good."


	3. Investigation

"Will do."

Yang and Blake walked towards the large building where Ozpin's office resided. They entered his office and Yang said, "Professor Ozpin, you need to take a look at this."

Ozpin rubbed his forehead and looked up, "What is it now?" He said, slightly irritated at having been interrupted for the second time that morning. He looked up and saw the blond-haired girl holding a bloody metal device. "For goodness' sake, what happened?"

"We saw a Nevermore flying over the school. We engaged it and we able to kill it. We found that it had this thing stuck into its neck. Considering what you revealed to Ruby and Weiss a while ago, we thought you might know something about it." Yang explained. She walked up to his desk and offered him the device.

He took it, turning it over in his hands and examining it closely. "Interesting indeed…." He muttered to himself. He looked back up at the girls and said, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. You two can go and get yourselves cleaned up now."

"That's it?" Yang asked. "Why don't you tell us what this is all about?"

Ozpin shook his head, "I'm afraid that I need to look into this further before I share anything. At this point, all I've got are conjectures."

"So let us help!" Yang replied.

"I am still the headmaster of this school, Ms. Xiao Long." Ozpin said. "Allow me to figure this out before drawing any rash conclusions. I will inform you once the time is right, but for now, return to your normal routines."

"But-" Yang said before she was cut off.

"No. Now kindly leave."

Yang spun hard and stormed out of the office. Blake took a look at the angry girl, then back at Ozpin, before finally turning to leave. Ozpin removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He grabbed his mug and took a large sip of coffee. Putting the drink back down, he thought, _What am I ever going to do with them?_

Yang stomped up the stairs to their dorm room, "I can't _believe _this! He knows something and he isn't telling us!" She said as she swung the door open. She went into the bathroom and shut the door, almost breaking it in the process. "We have a right to know, don't we? He'd have no idea anything was happening if it weren't for us!" She continued as she turned on the shower and stripped down, aiming to get the blood out of her gorgeous hair.

She continued ranting as she showered, and Blake simply waited in their room, reading one of her many books. She heard the water stop and closed her book as Yang burst out of the bathroom. "Let's go over to Ruby and Weiss' dorm and talk about what happened. We can see if they found anything off that Beowolf too."

Blake replied, "Sounds like a plan." She saw Yang make for the door, "Uhh, Yang? You may want to get dressed first."

Yang looked down and saw all she was wearing was a wet towel. She felt her cheeks warm as she realized that she almost walked out onto campus like that. She went over to her armoire and grabbed some clothes, putting them on quickly. She looked over to Blake, who had averted her eyes for privacy's sake. "C'mon!" She said impatiently.

The two of them made their way over to Ruby and Weiss' dorm room. Yang knocked on the door and immediately opened it, not bothering to wait for a response. They saw the two girls stooped in quiet conversation. Ruby's head shot up, "Guys, listen we found-" Ruby said before her older sister cut her off.

"We went to Ozpin and he said-"

"Hey! I started first!" Ruby said.

"Mine is more important!" Yang shot back.

"I'm team leader!"

"I'm older than you!"

"I-" 

"Both of you shut it!" Weiss yelled.

The two sisters looked at Weiss. She continued, "You're not going to get anywhere by arguing. Yang, let's hear what you guys found out."

Yang looked at Ruby with a smug look on her face, then said, "Ozpin seemed like he recognized the device. He said he had an idea of what it was but he refused to tell us what it was."

Ruby frowned, "Hmm...Alright. Well we did find a smaller version of the device in the Beowolf, so it is certain that the two attacks were connected."

All four of the girls sat in silence for a moment, processing these new revelations. It was Blake who finally spoke up, "Well even though we know this stuff, we can't do anything with it right now. I think it's best to bide our time and see what happens."

Weiss' head shot up, "Are you kidding? If Ozpin knows what's going on then he has a right to tell us."

"He doesn't _have_ to tell us anything. He's still the headmaster of the school, and therefore our superior." Blake replied, "We can't do anything about that."

The girls all fell quiet as they thought about this. "Fine," Weiss said finally, "But if we don't hear anything by tomorrow then we are confronting him."

Ruby then said, "Agreed."

Yang and Blake both nodded. Yang said, "Alright, well I guess we should just go about our day then." She said to Ruby and Weiss, "We'll see you around. Make sure to tell us if you hear anything."

Ruby nodded, "You too." She said as the two girls walked out of the room. Ruby turned to Weiss, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I hate having to wait and trust Ozpin on this. I don't like not knowing what's going on." The white-haired girl replied. "But Blake was right, I guess we have no other choice."

Ruby nodded and put her hand on Weiss' shoulder, "We will get to the bottom of this." She said, looking straight into her eyes, "I know it."


	4. Healing

Yang walked into their dorm room and kicked off her boots, which landed in the corner of the room. Blake followed her in and shut the door behind her. They both sat on their respective beds, each one lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Yang spoke up, "What do you think of all this?" She asked her partner.

"I think that Ozpin knows what's going on, but isn't telling us because of our potential reaction." Blake replied, "He doesn't trust us enough for him to give us that information."

Yang thought this over, "I guess he'd be right. I mean, if these attacks have anything to do with Weiss' parents, there's no way we'd all sit around doing nothing about it."

"Precisely," Blake said, "Which is why I offered to bide our time. I think if we did act rashly, Ozpin wouldn't trust us that much more, and we may never find out what is really going on."

"You may be right, but Weiss has the right idea. Tomorrow, if he doesn't tell us, we are going to make him." Yang answered, "I don't particularly care if he is the headmaster, we need to know the truth."

Blake pondered this for a moment, "I agree. If we all knew the truth before, we could've avoided a lot of trouble."

Yang looked down as she remembered Weiss' abrupt departure. "Yeah." She said, suddenly somber.

Blake frowned, "What's wrong?" She asked.

"It's just that, as Ruby's older sister, I feel responsible for what happened that day." Yang answered, "I mean, Ruby almost _died_ that day, and we were almost too late to save her. I feel like I should've done more to help her."

Blake looked at the usually fiery girl, "You know as well as I do that we all did all we could that day. What else could you have possibly done to help her? As soon as we found her note we were on our way."

Yang sighed and said, "Well, the day before Weiss left, I noticed a change in her. During one of our practice fights, she was fighting with a lot more emotion that she normally did. Afterwards, when we were in the locker room, I saw her looking at a picture when she thought I wasn't looking. At the time I thought she was just homesick or something, so I didn't say anything."

Blake looked at Yang, seeing the blonde the most upset she had ever seen her. "Yang," Blake replied, "_Nobody_ knew that this was going to happen. You can't blame yourself for something that you had no control over. All you can do," She gave a small smile as she continued, "Is be the best damn person you can be. Nobody will ask you for any more than that."

Yang looked up at her now-smiling partner and couldn't help but smile back, "Thanks Blake."

* * *

Weiss sat down on her bed, tired from a long day of classes. She kicked off her shoes and removed her weapon from her waist, stashing them next to her bed. She thought over what they had figured out that morning, that Grim were being controlled using some devices stuck in their necks.

She remembered what Ozpin had told them, that her village had a group that was trying to control the Grim. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew that her parents were behind the attacks. She couldn't understand it though, why would her parents attack the school? What motivation would they have for doing so?

She lay down on her bed, her hands behind her head, and just stayed there for a while. She remembered the letter that her parents had left her. She removed it from its spot under her mattress and read it over again. If they were so proud of her, why did they send monsters after her?

She gripped the paper tightly, fighting back tears. What kind of parents were they? Leaving their child to grow up in an adopted family when they could've taken her with them? She felt a hot tear slide down her cheek, and pretty soon she was sobbing freely.

Ruby opened the door to see her teammate lying on her bed, tears streaming down her face. She also saw her sit up and throw the letter on the floor. Ruby walked over and stood in front of the distraught girl as she put her head in her hands.

"Why?" Weiss said quietly. "Why did they do this? Why did they give me _that_ and then send monsters after me?!" She said, referring to the letter.

Ruby bent and picked up the letter. She looked it over once and then violently ripped it in half.

Weiss looked up, tears flying from her cheeks, "What'd you do that for?!" She said, That was the only thing I've ever gotten from them!"

Ruby looked deep into Weiss' eyes, "A wise man once said, Weiss, _Everyone is entitled to their own sorrow, for the heart has no metrics or form of measure. _However, it is what you do with that sorrow that will define you as a person. Some people choose to let their sorrow consume them, to permeate their everyday lives. Some choose to hide it away, ignoring it as if it didn't exist. Yet others choose to face and conquer their sorrow. These are the people that can truly live a good life, those that accept their sorrow and do not allow it to destroy them inside."

"Every person must make a choice, Weiss." Ruby continued, "Everyone must choose what to do with their sadness. It is this choice that will set the path that you go on in life. Everyone has demons, but it is what you do with your demons that will define you."

Weiss looked at the torn letter, then up to her teammate, "Ruby," she said, wiping the tears from her face, "Thank you."


	5. Mission

Weiss awoke the next morning fresh and re-energized. Ruby had seriously raised her spirits, and she was determined not to let her past define her future anymore. She looked over at her partner's still sleeping form. _Funny how such a small girl can have such a large heart._ She smiled a bit to herself and set about getting ready for the day. She got dressed and set her weapon at her hip, then went over to wake up Ruby.

She shook her gently and said, "C'mon lazy, time to get up." She laughed as Ruby opened her eyes and was startled by her presence. "We've got...I guess a long day ahead of us." She continued.

Ruby rolled over and moaned, "Five more minutes."

Weiss rolled her eyes and scowled, "Fine, I'll just tell Ozpin that you couldn't be bothered to come with me."

Ruby rolled back over to face her, "Ugh, fine!" She finally relented, "Give me a second, will you?"

Ruby got up, got dressed, and managed to stumble out the door with her weapon on her back. "What's got you up so bright and early anyway?" She asked Weiss.

Weiss looked at the younger girl, "I thought a lot about what you told me last night and I've made the choice to not let my sorrow consume me." She looked a bit sheepish as she said her next words, "I'm...sorry for having acted the way I did. It was selfish and very unbecoming."

Ruby quickly replied, "Don't worry about the past, let's just focus on the future." She said with a big smile.

Weiss couldn't help but smile when she saw the goofy grin on her face. She looked back forward as they exited their building, making their way to their first class that day.

* * *

"...And in conclusion, the Boarbatusk is one of the most dangerous creatures of Grim due to a combination of its armour and speed." The professor finished. His lecture had gone on for a tad bit too long, and he could tell some of the students were beginning to fade.

He looked to the door as a visitor entered the classroom. The student delivered a small note to the professor, who accepted it and read it quickly. He looked up, "Ms. Rose and Ms. Schnee, Professor Ozpin would like to have a word with you in his office. Bring your things and make sure to study for the quiz tomorrow."

Weiss looked to Ruby who shrugged, thinking any excuse to get out of class was good enough for her. They both walked out into the hallway to find Yang and Blake there waiting. "Hey guys." Yang said as they met up with their teammates.

The four of them walked to Ozpin's office in relative silence, only speaking to make some small talk. They all knew what was coming as they approached the door to the headmaster's office. Ruby turned the handle and entered the room, followed by the rest of her team.

Ozpin was in mid-sip when they walked in. He gulped down his drink and said, "Hello girls. I assume that you know why I called you here?" He saw them all nod, so he continued, "As much as I would like for this to be handled by the authorities, I don't think I could stop you four if I tried. That being said, I think you are more than capable of doing this." He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in, "I am assigning you your first official mission as Team RWBY."

He saw the announcement take effect in the girls' faces, each one lighting up as they heard the word 'mission'.

He continued, "We, meaning a combination of the school's resources and the police force, have backtracked the signal being broadcast from these devices. Now, this information is a bit old, but it is all we have to go on." He then slid forward a folded piece of paper on his desk, which Ruby stepped up and took. "This is the spot where the signal was found." He said as Ruby unfolded the paper to find a map of the area surrounding Beacon. "It is unnervingly close to the school, so I want you four to investigate the area and pursue any leads you may find."

Ozpin finished with, "Any questions?" He paused for a moment, but this mission was fairly straightforward. "Good, you are to depart as soon as you are ready. You should not let the trail go too cold."

Ruby nodded and said, "We won't fail, professor."

Ozpin returned the nod and replied, "I would think not. Now get going." He said, shooing them out of his office.

They left, all of them too stunned to speak immediately. It was Yang who broke the silence, "Alright! This is awesome!" She exclaimed with a wide grin, "Our first mission? How cool is that!"

Blake replied, "Very." She said coolly, "We should get our things together for a somewhat extended trip."

Ruby finally spoke back up, "Agreed, everyone get packed and meet back outside the dorm in ten minutes." They hurried back to their dorm rooms, walking through the empty halls quickly and in silence. It took them no time at all to pack, and soon they were back outside, each with a small bag on their back.

Ruby looked around, "Is everyone ready?" She asked her team and, seeing them nod, said, "Let's go."

They began walking north and east, towards the marked spot on the map. Soon, they left the school grounds, it being replaced with a deciduous forest. They walked for the better part of the day. The sun was beginning to get low in the sky when they approached a small clearing in the woods.

That was when they saw the man.


	6. Burden

They entered the clearing to see a bloodied man coughing on the forest floor. Next to him was the carcass of a Beowolf. Ruby rushed over to the man's side, followed quickly by the rest of her team.

Ruby knelt and asked the man, "What happened here?" She looked down to see a gaping wound in the man's side.

Blake looked to Weiss, who met her gaze. They both knew that this man was not going to survive.

He coughed, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. "I…" He managed to say before he was wracked by another bout of coughing.

Ruby then said, "Don't speak, save your strength."

Blake tapped Ruby on the shoulder, signalling her desire to speak with the younger girl. The two walked off a bit, leaving the bleeding man with Yang and Weiss, who were pulling bandages out of their packs. "Ruby," Blake said quietly, "I know that this man is hurt, but we need information. To be frank...I don't think that he is going to survive." She paused for a moment, letting her word sink in, "You get what I'm saying?"

Ruby simply looked at Blake for a second, then slowly nodded, "I understand," She said quietly, "And I think you're right." 

Blake nodded, "Ok, let's go see what he knows, alright?"

"Alright."

The pair walked back over to the man, Ruby kneeling down next to him again as Weiss and Yang patched him up to try and slow the bleeding. "Mister, what were you doing here?" Ruby asked in a soft, calm voice.

The man looked up at Ruby, a look of pain on his face, "I...I was just...doing what I was...told…" He managed to say in between coughs.

Ruby persisted, "Who told you to do what?"

The man realized his mistake, he seemed to argue with himself for a moment, and then remain silent. Ruby leaned in close, "Mister," She said softly, "I think you know that you aren't walking out of this forest. You might as well tell me what you were doing. Let me hear your final confessions."

The man looked into Ruby's eyes and saw himself reflected there. He sighed and coughed, "You are a special child, even scum...like myself can see that." He paused, taking a shuddering breath, "I...was working for a group...called the...Jiyū. They have found...a way to control...the beasts of Grim. They were going...to use this to...free the world from...the tyranny of kings."

The four girls all started at this. The kings of the four nations of Vytal basically held the world together. They led the fight against the Grim and without their expertise, the world would be hard pressed to defend itself against the darkness.

The man continued with a raspy voice, "I was supposed to...distract Beacon...while they went for Vale...and I...failed." He was interrupted by a bout of violent coughing before continuing, "All I wanted...was to be free."

Ruby gave the man a hard look before realizing that he had a small set of ears sticking from his head. She came to a realization, "You're a faunus."

The man gave a faint nod, "My people...are less than dirt to yours…."

Ruby looked deep into the man's eyes, "Mister," She said, "I know you had good intentions, but you must see that this was not the right path. Violence will only set the world down the path to hate."

The man seemed to fade for a moment, but he forced himself to remain just a while longer. He managed a nod, "I see that now. These people…never cared about me...they just wanted...another pawn." He looked hard at Ruby, "I truly apologize...for what I've done...But promise me...this...that you will not...let them throw the world...into darkness…" He seemed to struggle for a moment, another cough wracking his body, "Go north..." With that, the light faded from the man's eyes.

Ruby stood and turned to face her team, which had stopped trying to save the man. Yang had a fire in her eyes that she recognized immediately. Before she could say anything, however, a low growl emanated from across the clearing.

The four girls whipped around to face the growl, all unsheathing their weapons. The first Beowolf came flying out of the woods at Ruby, who promptly shot it in the head. Then a second, third, and fourth came snarling after the girls. Soon, a massive pack of the beasts was charging out of the woods at them.

Ruby fired her scythe, flinging herself at the creatures. She swung and cleanly decapitated one of them, using her momentum to spin and stick her weapon into the gut of another. She fired, a shower of gore spraying out of the beast. The recoil shot her backwards past Yang, who was beating the life out of one of the creatures.

She used the small reprieve to glance around at the other members of her team. She saw Weiss skew a Beowolf on her blade before flipping backwards and launching a storm of fire at the pack. Blake had mounted one of the creatures, and was using her vantage point to send her weapon slinging around at the enemies around her. She then slashed downwards, breaking the skull of the Beowolf she was on top of, before rolling to safety.

Ruby then turned her attention to the foes around her, almost getting caught in a Beowolf's snapping jaws. She fired at the beast, ending its life, before swinging into another attack. She ripped the nearest enemy in half before firing below her to send herself skyward. She managed to reload her weapon before she descended and used her fresh ammo to pick off a few of the Beowolves from up high. She came flying down into another swing which tore the head off another Beowolf.

She went to find another target before realizing that, as suddenly as they had come, the Beowolves had seemingly disappeared into the woods.

Ruby scanned the area, looking for any potential threats, but they had truly gone. She called out to her teammates, "Everyone alright?"

They all answered and met in the middle of the clearing. They were still amped up on adrenaline from the fight, so they continued to look around for enemies. "We should check the bodies," Ruby offered, "These might have been sent to intercept us."

The girls set about the clearing, checking the ruined bodies of the Beowolves. Blake was the first to speak up, "Got one here." She said over the body of a rather large carcass.

"Another one here." Yang said from not so far away.

"They aren't on all of them though?" Ruby asked as she examined the empty neck of one of the slain beasts.

"It seems that way." Weiss replied, also finding a body without a device on it.

"Well," Ruby replied, "I guess we go north then." She was unusually withdrawn after the incident. They gathered themselves and set off out of the clearing.

Before they left, Ruby took one last look at the body of the deceased faunus, _Let your hopes become my burden._


	7. Encounter

Finally, they decided to rest for the night. The sun had already set and they were beginning to stumble around the forest, so Ruby made the decision for them to rest until morning. They found a small enough clearing for them to build a campfire, which Weiss started with a bit of Dust. They all settled down around the small blaze, warming their chilled bones. The weather was just beginning to turn cold.

They made small talk for a while, with nobody mentioning the idea that was on everyone's minds. Both Ruby and Weiss were very subdued, seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, both Blake and Weiss unfurled their sleeping bags and, after figuring out a watch order, they went to sleep.

The two sisters just sat for a while, simply looking at the fire. Ruby marveled at the beauty that could come of something that was so destructive. Or was it something beautiful that had the potential to be destructive?

Yang's voice snapped her out of her reverie, "So sis," She said, "What's on your mind?"

Ruby looked up at her sister, then back down at the flames, "Nothing." She replied curtly. "Nothing at all."

"You were never a good lier, Ruby." Yang replied, "Tell me what's going on."

Ruby looked back up at her and sighed, "What that man said, the fact that he was so terribly misguided in his vision of...I guess...what he thought was freedom." She shook her head slightly, "I just wish we could've helped him more."

Yang took a long look at her little sister before replying, "You're a lot more mature than you look, sis," She answered, "But you need to know that there truly was nothing we could do that could have possibly saved him. You did all that he could've asked for, you heard his dying words. The best way to honour his life is to heed those words."

Ruby looked up at her sister, "In that case, we are gonna find these Jiyū and shut them down."

Yang broke into a smile, "That's the Ruby I know."

_**LINE HERE**_

The next morning they awoke bright and early. They quickly packed up camp and continued their journey north, not quite knowing what they were looking for. Even so, they walked. Every so often, one of them would scale a tree and observe the surrounding area to see if they could find something.

After doing this for a few hours, they reached a point where they could see the ocean when they climbed the trees. Nonetheless, they continued north. They reached a point around noon where the trees thinned out and before them was a mighty cliff dropping off into the roiling water below.

"Well," Weiss remarked, "What are we supposed to do now?"

Ruby was just as confused as Weiss, "Let me think for a minute." She looked around, seeing only the cliff stretching on in either direction. She turned around to see only the woods behind them. She rubbed her forehead and kicked a small rock off the cliff in frustration.

A metallic _clang_ resonated from the cliff below.

All four of the girls rushed to the cliffside and looked down. What they saw was a small platform with a ladder leading up to the cliff's edge.

Ruby said, "I think we've found what we have been looking for." She turned to her teammates, "Let's go." She grabbed either side of the ladder and swung herself over the edge, sliding down the ladder. She slid down fast and landed with a thud on the platform, quickly looking up for any danger. Seeing nothing but a metal door next to the ladder, she motioned for the other girls to come down.

Once they had all gotten down, Ruby set one hand on the handle and another on her weapon. She glanced around to make sure everyone was ready before throwing the door open and storming inside.

They all hustled inside to see a wide open cavern that was relatively empty, save for a few boxes scattered about. The cavern extended deeper into the cliff face, gradually narrowing out into a small corridor. Seeing nowhere to go but forward, Ruby led them towards the corridor.

As they approached, Blake spotted a pair of eyes in the corner of the room. She called out a warning just as an Ursa came out from the shadows, taking a swipe at Ruby.

Ruby leapt aside, drawing her weapon as she did, but was quickly drawn off by a second Ursa that came barrelling down the corridor. She fired off a shot that went wide, transforming her weapon into a scythe shortly after.

She fired at the first Ursa, propelling her to the right of the second beast. She took a swing with her scythe, but the confined passageway didn't allow her to get enough force behind the blow. She ended up with her scythe wrapped around the creature's neck. Weiss then came flying at the Ursa, her blade slicing through its neck with ease. Ruby quickly unlatched her weapon, nodding her appreciation to her partner.

She looked over to see Yang ferociously beating on the other Ursa. She moved to help, but Blake beat her to it, whipping her blade around on its ribbon to slice into the Ursa's side. She then fired the weapon, dislodging it from the beast and wounding it further. Yang jumped and, on her way down, she smashed the beast's skull with such force that it shattered, spraying blood along the wall.

They assumed a circular formation, their backs against each other, in the event that more enemies appeared. When it seemed that they were alone, they lowered their guard and stowed away their weapons.

Ruby walked over to one of the bodies and, sure enough, she spotted a blinking red light pointing out of the thing's fur. She said, "It looks like we've got the right place."

Suddenly, from down the corridor, they heard footsteps followed by a slow clapping.


	8. Ambush

_Clap….clap….clap_

The girls looked down the corridor as they heard someone approach. They quickly gathered in the middle of the room with their weapons drawn and ready for a fight. The footsteps grew closer and the man who was clapping stepped into the light.

"You!" Ruby said, her voice rising with anger, "You were the guy who robbed that Dust shop!"

"Ah, hello there Red," The man said in a calm but deadly voice, "A pleasure to see you again." He tapped his cane on the floor three times, slowly and deliberately. On the third tap, the girls saw passageways open in the walls of the large room. Snarling, Beowolves poured out of the passageways, filling the room but not attacking anyone.

The man laughed as Team RWBY adopted a defensive position, covering all angles of possible attack. Blake whispered, "I count at least twenty of them between us and the exit."

Weiss replied in a low voice, "We won't be needing that."

"Now, now, ladies, it would be a shame if anyone were to be hurt here." The man said. "I believe I will take my leave. I suggest you four refrain from making any sudden movements. Our friends here must be absolutely _famished_." He chuckled as he walked by the girls, who had no choice but to simply watch as he opened the door and stepped outside, "And by the way, Red, you can call me Roman."

He slammed the door shut as the Beowolves lunged at the four girls. They immediately sprang into action, slicing their way through the pack. They made sure to stay close to each other to support one another during the fight.

Ruby swung her scythe, removing a head from one of the beasts. She quickly spun around and fired at another that was coming from Weiss' blind side to take a swing at her. The creature's head exploded as a rifle round nailed it in the skull. Weiss shot her a quick look of gratitude before she had to spin away to confront another enemy.

Ruby was now faced with three of the creatures coming straight at her. She fired at the ground, sending her up towards the ceiling. As she approached it, she spun around so her head was pointing the ground. He feet hit the ceiling and she shoved off, sending herself at one of the Beowolves. She stuck her scythe into the beast's chest before firing another round, blowing a gaping hole in its torso. She used the momentum to twist her body completely around into another swing, this one aimed at the Beowolf on her left. She managed to slice halfway through its neck before she fired again and removed its head.

She went to confront the last beast but saw that she had left herself wide open. She did her best to evade the next attack, but her efforts were in vain. The beast managed to hit her hard with its paw, sending her tumbling along the floor. She looked up to see the Beowolf engulfed in flames. She knew that Weiss had hit it with Dust, but her thanks would have to wait until later.

She quickly regained her footing and saw that Weiss' intervention had left her partner in a tough spot. She was facing down five different enemies and was hard-pressed to defend herself. Ruby sent herself flying at one of the creatures, her scythe slicing through its torso. She slid, her knees on the floor as Weiss sent ice shards flying at another of the Beowolves. She used her momentum to swipe the legs out from under another of the beasts, sending it sprawling to the floor.

She popped up and brought her scythe down hard, ending the creature's life. She heard a snarl behind her and was forced to dive to the side as a Beowolf's claws whistled through the air. She rolled and stood, seeing that they had almost defeated the huge pack. She called out, "Blake! Yang! Go after Roman! Don't let him get away!"

As she swung her weapon again, she saw the two girls quickly fight their way to the exit, smashing the door closed behind them. Ruby and Weiss now had to deal with the rest on their own.

There was a short lull in the fighting, so the two girls used it to regroup. They put themselves back to back, each one protecting the other's blind side. Ruby asked, "You alright?" Her chest heaving with exertion.

Weiss replied, "Never better." She paused to wipe the sweat from her forehead, "Just try to keep up."

"Ready?"

"Go."

The two girls flew at the remaining Beowolves, hacking them apart with deadly efficiency. Ruby saw one remaining and went to fire off a shot to kill it, but her weapon clicked as its cartridge was empty. A second later, she saw a fireball come flying across the room and engulf the beast, sending it into a howling rage. The creature flailed about for a moment, then fell to the floor.

Ruby looked over at Weiss, who was now sweating due to the energy required of her from the fight. "Good fight." Ruby said, her own brow moist as well.

Weiss sheathed her weapon and put her hands on her knees before replying, "You too."

Ruby sheathed Crescent Rose as well and looked towards the corridor. She said, "I guess we only have one way to go."

Weiss stood up straight and looked down the dark passageway as well, "It would seem you're correct."

Ruby could hear the hesitation in her voice. She said, "Weiss, whatever we find, we have to stay strong."

Weiss looked towards the younger girl, a slight smile playing on her lips, "I know. But Ruby, you of all people should know that there's nothing that you and I can't handle."

Ruby smiled, her eyes lighting up with her partner's compliment, "Alright, let's get going."

They walked towards the corridor side by side, into the darkness of the unknown.


	9. Meeting

Ruby glanced to her right, seeing nothing but the cold metallic walls glare back at her. She spotted a door up ahead and said, "Hey, let's see what's in there."

She barely made out Weiss nod in the darkness. She was surprised that the corridor wasn't more lit up, but also remembered that this was the base for some crazy 'Freedom fighter' group. They approached the door and she grabbed the handle. She immediately felt something warm and wet on her hand, but opened the door nonetheless.

The two girls peered into the room and, seeing nothing but inky blackness, stepped inside. "Any switches over there?" Ruby asked her partner.

"I think, hang on." Came the reply. Ruby waited a moment before she heard a faint click. An electrical buzzing began above her head and the lights flickered on. They were faint, but enough for them to see the contents of the room..

They looked around, their eyes wide with horror. In the middle of the room sat the body of a man on a wooden chair. His eyes had been gouged out and his fingers were raw and bloody. She quickly looked away, her hand moving to cover her mouth before she saw that her own hand was bloody as well.

She coughed and made for the door. She heard Weiss follow closely behind her as well as the door being shut. Ruby wiped her hand off on the wall as best she could. She looked over to Weiss, who was even more pale than was normal for her. "Who could _do_ something like that?" She asked her partner.

Weiss simply shook her head and said, "Let's keep moving."

They walked for a while in silence, and it seemed that the passageway was going on forever. "Something evil is going on here." Ruby said.

Weiss replied, "Yeah, and I have a feeling that there is a lot more happening than just the Grim problem."

They continued on in silence until they saw a faint light coming from up ahead. She shot Weiss a look and grabbed her weapon from her back. She heard her partner do the same. They emerged into a room that had slightly more light than the corridor.

The room had the metal walkway continue across it, but the floor beneath it fell away into a lower level. Ruby could barely make out the forms of cages down on the lower area, but she could clearly hear the snarls emanating from the floor below. "Beowolves and Ursa, at least." Weiss remarked.

Ruby noticed a stairway on the left side of the walkway, "Shall we go investigate?" She asked.

Weiss hesitated for a moment before she said, "I suppose."

The two girls made their way down the steps, the soft metallic clang of their footsteps ringing off the walls and infuriating the captives down below. As they made their way through the maze of cages, the Grim trapped inside growled hungrily and threw themselves at their cages.

"What kind of place is this?" Ruby wondered aloud, "Let's get through here quickly."

Weiss nodded her agreement as they picked up their pace. They finally got through the maze of cages and found a door on the far end of the room. Eager to get out of that dreadful place, Weiss opened it and entered the room. Ruby followed her closely, but walked right into her back. "Hey, why'd you stop?" Ruby asked before she looked over her partner's shoulder.

The room itself was unremarkable. It held nothing but a wide set of stairs leading up to a raised dais. At the top of the stairs stood a man and a woman, both wearing masks that covered their noses, eyes, and cheeks, leaving their foreheads and mouths exposed. Ruby noticed that these masks had red markings on them suspiciously alike the markings on Beowolves and Ursa. Both of them wore black cloaks draped around themselves and were shimmering with power.

Ruby stepped up beside Weiss as the woman spoke, "Why hello, my friends. Nice of you to finally join us." She said in a silky smooth voice. "And Weiss, darling, it is about time that we met."

Weiss was frozen in place, "W-Who are you?" She managed to say.

The woman laughed, a sharp, cold sound, "Why honey, I would hope that you recognize your own parents!" She said.

Weiss eyes grew wide before she squeezed them shut and shook her head, "No. No you're wrong…" She lifted her head and, with tears in her eyes, asked, "Dad?"

The man smiled and said, "Come here, sweetie." He extended his arms as if to offer an embrace.

Weiss shook her head again, "What are you two doing here? What is this place?"

"This," The man said, "Is where we will free the world." He lowered his arms and crossed them across his chest. "Please, why don't you join us?"

Ruby could see the conflict on her partner's face. Everything pointed to these two being Weiss parents, but the place they were in was evil, everything in it was evil. Ruby lightly placed her arm on Weiss', hoping to convey her distrust without words.

"Why are you doing this?" Weiss asked quietly, "What happened to you wanting me to take the right path? What happened to the right choices?"

The pair both frowned and glanced at each other. The woman then asked, "What on earth are you talking about, dearest?"

Weiss looked astonished, "The letter! The letter you left me at my dorm!"

"What letter?"

Weiss bit back tears. Either these two were lying about being her parents, or someone had played a cruel joke on her. "Whatever evil you two are doing here," Weiss said, "It has to stop."

"Weiss," The man said, "You can join us. You can gain the power that we have and help us in freeing the world from oppression."

"No, father, I cannot." Weiss said, her voice expressing a fierce determination. "Your plot ends here." She said as she drew her weapon. She heard Ruby's weapon unfurl next to her and she assumed a fighting stance.

"Oh sweetie," The woman said, "Do you really think you can beat us at our own game?" The woman pulled a rapier of her own from under her cloak. Her blade was black and did not have the Dust chamber as Weiss' did. The man reached under her cloak and pulled out a large bastard sword, which he slung over his shoulder.

"Honey," He said, "We do not have to fight. Think of the power we could give you." He said as he held out his free hand, palm up. The air above his hand shimmered and burst into flame. However, the flame now dancing above his hand was jet black and threw off no light.

Weiss shook her head yet again, "You two are beyond my help. The only thing left to do is to stop this." She spared a glance at Ruby, who was smiling in anticipation of the fight.

"Weiss," Ruby said, "Let's put a stop to this, once and for all."

Weiss nodded and hurled herself at the woman.


	10. Battle

Weiss' blade flashed as she brought it down in an overhand slash at the woman. Their blades clashed in the darkness, the scarpe of steel on steel grating through the room. She glared into the woman's eyes. She saw herself reflected there, anger and determination. She roared as she pushed downward with a mighty shove. The woman parried Weiss' attack aside and rolled backwards, adopting a fencing pose. _Very much like how I was taught._ Weiss noticed. She took her own stance and saw that it was nearly identical to the woman's.

She risked a glance to the side to check on the man with the sword. She saw Ruby fiercely engaged with him. Confident in her partner, she turned to face her own opponent. The woman attacked first with a thrust to Weiss torso. Weiss easily swatted the blow aside and used her momentum to thrust her blade at the woman. Her enemy was forced to duck away from the blow, putting her off balance. Weiss pressed the advantage, swinging her blade and launching a fireball at the woman at nearly point blank range.

Her eyes widened as it seemed a void appeared in front of her. The inky blackness swallowed up the fire, reducing the room back to darkness. The blackness faded to reveal the woman laughing, "Oh Weiss, dearie, you really think you can hit me with attacks like those?" She mocked, "You're going to have to do better than that."

Weiss clenched her teeth, biting back a sharp retort. _I'll have to go after her with the intent to kill, then. That's the only way I'll be able to beat her. _She formed a circle at her feet and shot over to the side, attempting to flank the woman. She swung her weapon at the woman's exposed side, expecting this attack to hit her squarely. She was shocked at the reaction speed of the woman as her black blade came around and met her own.

Her enemy laughed shrilly, seeming to relish in the fight. Weiss' blade was knocked back by the incredible strength of the seemingly small woman. She was barely able to dodge the next attack, having to roll to the side to avoid the thrust. She reached her feet as the woman pressed the assault with a vicious overhand swing. Weiss sidestepped and deflected the attack. She saw her chance as the woman overextended herself, and she aimed a quick slash at her leg. She took grim satisfaction in the woman's cry of pain.

Weiss flipped backward and took her fighting stance once more. She watched carefully as the woman examined her leg. Her enemy merely laughed, and she saw as the wound quickly stitched itself back together. "I'll have to give it to you, honey, your teacher was not bad at all. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to use the full extent of my power on you." She said, a dark look coming over her face.

Weiss could only watch as a black fire started around the woman. Soon, she was wreathed in abominable flames, laughing hysterically. _She is no longer a human. _Weiss thought, _She's a monster._ A shot of black flame came flying at her, and she ducked to the side to avoid the attack. She replied with a fireball of her own, which was promptly consumed by the inky flames around her mother.

Weiss jumped to the side as the flames came at her along the floor. She launched another fireball at the impenetrable shield around her enemy, but this time, she had a plan. When the flames reached up to engulf her attack, she air stepped up above her mother. She air stepped again and came at her from above with a furious strike. Her blade was inches away from connecting when the flames reached up and stopped her attack dead. _Damn. _Weiss grimaced as pain shot up her arm from the abrupt stop.

Her feet began to fall towards the flames. She figured that if those touched her, she was doomed. She quickly air stepped away. However, she was off balance when she tried to land, and was sent sprawling across the floor. Her adversary seized this opportunity and sent forward the flames to catch her. She felt an ice coldness wrap around her ankle before feeling herself being lifted into the air. She heard more of that annoying laughter as she was sent flying at the wall. She managed to cushion the impact using her air step, but still hit the unforgiving metal hard.

She staggered to her feet, shaking her head in an effort to clear it. She looked up just in time to see the woman charge her, black flames wrapped around her blade. Weiss raised her own weapon, making it seem as if she would try to block it. When the woman brought her blade down, she met only the metal wall. Weiss stepped quickly to the side and around her opponent. She thrusted through the wall of flames and felt her blade find a sheathe of flesh.

Weiss felt a huge pressure on her chest as she was thrown across the room. She got her feet under her and slid to a halt, surveying the damage she dealt. The flames were visibly weaker now, and her enemy was glaring at her with death in her eyes. "I've underestimated you, Weiss." She said in a voice that wasn't quite her own, "You will pay for that."

Weiss couldn't take it anymore, "What kind of mother _are_ you?" She asked, "You're fighting your own daughter! What's wrong with you?"

The woman laughed although Weiss could see that it pained her physically to do so, "You are in our way. You are no daughter of mine if you do not share my dream!" She snarled across the room, "Our strength will bring freedom back to the world!"

"You're using evil to make yourselves strong!" Weiss snapped back, "You've damned yourselves by allying with forces of darkness that have clearly made you their slaves!"

"We are nobody's slaves!" The woman screeched, hurling herself at Weiss.

Weiss grimly raised her blade and charged forward as well. She swung her blade to meet her enemy's. She fed Dust up the blade, making it unforgiving as stone. She barely felt their blades lock, and looked straight into her mother's eyes. All that remained was malice. Whatever infernal thing she had given herself to was now completely in control.

Weiss winced as her mother press on her with immense strength. She could feel the power radiating off of her enemy's form. Weiss disengaged, jumping to the side. Her opponent came around with terrifying speed and went to run Weiss through with her weapon. Weiss quickly air stepped away. She leapt into the air, spinning the chamber on her weapon as she did so. Pointing her blade down, she smashed it into the floor, sending a wave of ice at the enraged woman. The black flames shot forward to meet the ice, and the two forces met in between mother and daughter. A plume of steam shot up from the collision, and Weiss used the opportunity to catch her enemy by surprise.

She shot forward, through the haze, with her blade out in front of her. As she cleared the steam, she saw her mother's face. It was one of disbelief, but also of acceptance. She saw there the regrets of a lifetime now wasted, working towards a goal that would never be realized. She also saw something else, something that she did not expect to see. Love.


	11. Closure

Ruby clapped her partner on the shoulder, giving her a sad smile. Weiss tried to ignore her, looking out over the water. They had sealed up the base using her Dust, and had just emerged out into the bright sunlight. They stood on the small platform for a moment or two before Weiss finally turned. Ruby could see her eyes glistening with tears, but said nothing. The white-haired girl said quietly, "Let's go."

They got to the top of the ladder and saw nothing but the woods stretching along the cliff. She gazed out over the ocean again. Her parents were gone. They had been evil, but she hoped that, in their dying moments, they might have realized their mistakes. Ruby had dealt with her father, who had put up a nasty fight. She snuck a look at her partner, who was still limping from a slight injury.

She wanted nothing more to simply lie down right there and curl up into a ball, never to see the outside world again. She knew, though, that her team needed her. Yang and Blake were still out there chasing Roman. She remembered what Ruby had told her before, about sadness and sorrow. She remembered her promise to herself, that she wouldn't allow her sorrow to consume her.

She finally felt like she could do it. Like she could overcome her hardships.

She finally had the closure that she had been yearning for all this time. She knew about her parents, and she had stopped them from making a terrible mistake. She knew that she could easily be sad about their fate, but their choices had been their own. She would not dwell on the path that they chose.

Only one question lingered in her mind, after all that they had been through. _Who gave me the letter?_ Who would have wanted her to think her parents were that caring and only wanted the best for her? She knew that wasn't the case. She had given up trying to justify their actions, content at least in the fact that her team had been the ones to stop the evil that was brewing in the ground beneath their feet.

She looked at Ruby, who seemed lost in her own thoughts. She truly couldn't have asked for a better partner, leader, and friend. Before they met, Weiss hadn't had friends. She had kept herself in a shell and didn't allow anyone else in.

Ruby had changed that.

She had tried to befriend her, and didn't quit when Weiss tried to push her away. For that, she was truly glad and thankful.

She wondered what the future would hold, and if they would ever find who had really sent her that letter. The letter she had spent so many nights crying about before Ruby had snapped her out of her sorrow. She wondered how their team would fare in the trials to come before she realized that they weren't quite done yet. _I suppose we'll see._ She thought.

She was sad, no doubt, but she felt like she could endure it now. She had friends who would stand by her side and comfort her. She had the knowledge of who and what her parents were. She finally had the courage to face her demons and throw them down.

Most importantly, she had hope.

She sighed, figuring that her, no, their journey had come to an end. She wiped the tears out of her eyes and put on a brave smile. "What'd I tell you?" She said to her partner, "Together, you and I can take on anything."

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who stuck it out to the end. Quite honestly, I surprised myself with the turn that this story took. Sorry about the short ending chapter, but I feel that there truly is nothing left to say. Expect some Yang and Blake in the future! Thanks again!**


End file.
